Simulated snow water equivalent over the greater Kaweah River basin, southern Sierra Nevada, California, on select dates for a dry, average, and wet snow year. Image by Keith Musselman
In a string of new studies examining snowpack vulnerability to rising temperatures, one simulated snowmelt rate responses to a warming climate in mountainous areas. Research recently published in The Cryosphere aimed to understand how snowmelt rates, including extreme events linked to flood risk, may respond to warming over a 3600 m elevation gradient in the southern Sierra Nevada. Lead author Keith Musselman (INSTAAR) and co-authors Noah Molotch (INSTAAR/Geog) and Steven Margulis (UCLA) found that middle elevations with more snowpack saw the largest reduction in snowmelt rate. Importantly, the study revealed that a warming climate increased extreme daily snowmelt.
Knowing the sensitivity to mountain water resources and extreme melt events is vital for improving resiliency of regional flood control systems. This also fits into the larger conversation about water resource management. Inside Climate News further dives into the broader impact of climate on Western snowpack.